2.0TDI Dropped Torx Bit in Oil Return Passage - BRE Engine

[owenappleton]

Good Evening

While swapping an injector over on No 4 cylinder (2006 2.0 TDI BRE), I was re-tightening the injector retaining bolts and dropped a torx bit into what I think is the oil return passage. A very silly mistake I know!

It seemed to drop a long way down as I heard a noise as if it had dropped down to the bottom of the engine. Has anybody else experienced a similar issue and what might be the solution. I'm thinking a very strong, small magnet bonded onto a piece of wire or taking the sump off to retrieve the missing bit.

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Owen

[Amo Zirins]

Good Evening

While swapping an injector over on No 4 cylinder (2006 2.0 TDI BRE), I was re-tightening the injector retaining bolts and dropped a torx bit into what I think is the oil return passage. A very silly mistake I know!

It seemed to drop a long way down as I heard a noise as if it had dropped down to the bottom of the engine. Has anybody else experienced a similar issue and what might be the solution. I'm thinking a very strong, small magnet bonded onto a piece of wire or taking the sump off to retrieve the missing bit.

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Owen

Telescopic magnet retracting tool may help you


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[owenappleton]

Thanks - unfortunately the passage is small and underneath the camshaft making access impossible for such a tool. I thought by making one attached to a wire it might help me avoid having to remove the camshaft.

[54A4Avant]

Yep, a small neodymium magnet held tight with AWG 18-20 single core copper wire. Strong enough to push into the gap and flexible enough to deform as it needs to. Securing the magnet so it can't drop off inside the engine and add to your woes will be the tricky part.

[Novica]

If the torx bit has finished on oil sump, try to drain the oil and if torx do not come out, try to catch it with that magnet tool through the drain hole.

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[FrenchAudi]

Or even get an endoscope and have a look down the drain hole and in the sump.

I don't think it's likely to do much harm either in an oil drainway or in the sump - it's not going to block the oil, or get through the oil pump inlet strainer.

On the other hand, in the process of falling down when the engine is running, it might happen to be hit by the spinning crankshaft and thrown somewhere critical.

I once had a stripped (fibre) timing gear on a straight-six Chevy engine. When I tore the engine down I found a screw from the oil pump cover had fallen out,presumably hit the crankshaft, and been thrown between the timing gears. The mangled screw was in the bottom of the timing case.

But that is probably a thousand to one chance.